Needle In The Haystack
by Rachel-DI
Summary: It's hard to find a needle in the haystack. But it's not impossible. ClarkLois


"So, you're in for a movie night or what?"

Lois rolled his eyes.

"Clark, will you stop bugging me about this? It's like the fifth time you ask already."

Clark snorted. "If only you answered me, I wouldn't ask so many times."

"If only you weren't so annoying, I would have answered already." she teased. Clark narrowed his eyes.

"And if only it hadn't been Chloe's suggestion, and if ONLY you weren't her cousin and her friend, I wouldn't be twisting my tongue trying to convince you to do it."

"I thought I was your friend too." said Lois, matter-of-factly, a thing that made Clark shake his head disapprovingly.

"You are. But do you seriously think it would be my decision to ask YOU for a movie night?"

It was Lois's turn to narrow her eyes. "Hey. Are you trying to imply I'm not a good movie-watching fellow?"

"I'm not implying." said Clark, seriously. Then, he grinned. "I'm affirming."

"Well, I can be a good movie-watching fellow." she said, bitting back on her molars.

Clark grinned even more. "Oh yeah?" Lois nodded. "Prove it."

Lois faced him in a challenging way.

_Score._

"Allright, you got me, Kent, but don't you get used to it, it will not be a daily occurrence." she said, starting to make some coffee for them.

"We'll see." he smiled. They were at the Talon, Clark had superspeeded towards there after stopping by the Daily Planet and talking to Chloe, who seemed to be in for a movie night. "Chloe will be joining us at 7:30, at my house."

"Your house?" she asked. Clark nodded. "Your movies?" Clark nodded again. "Ohh, I don't think so, Smallville. I'm not in the mood to watch those disgusting ones."

"What the hell do you think I got there, porn?" asked Clark, exasperated, as he grabbed the cup of coffee Lois handed him. She laughed.

"Not even in my wildest dreams, Smallville." she said, while Clark rolled his eyes. "I mean your boring ones like 'Gone With The Wind'."

Clark raised one eyebrow, daring. "Don't think you would be able to watch a porn with me sitting beside you, huh?"

Lois raised her both eyebrows and laughed. "Please. The probabilities of you having porn movies in your house and you and me actually following the script of those movies is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"I found a needle in a haystack once."

Lois frowned. "What was that supposed to mean?" It was Clark's turn to laugh. "Do you HAVE porn in your house?"

"Not even in your wildest dreams, Lois."

She smirked. "Ha-ha, very funny. Now let's to to your house, I'll drive," she started, grabbing her car keys and passing by him. "It's already seven o'clock and we've gotta speed things up if we want to find that needle in that haystack before Chloe arrives."

Clark frowned and followed her. "What was that supposed to mean?"

Lois smirked.

_Score._

* * *

"Smallville, will you, for pity's sake, put the video in?"

"Can't you just wait ONE minute?" replied Clark, annoyed.

"One minute I could wait. It has been ten since you grabbed the freakin' tape."

Chloe rolled her eyes, smiling. Lois had waited one minute. Chloe had been listening she complain about the tape Clark was trying to put into the video for the last nine minutes.

After watching a few more seconds of Clark's unusual shots to put the tape in, Lois, with a "Oh, just give it to me", grabbed the tape from Clark's hand.

She walked to the video and quickly examined it. Lois rolled her eyes.

"Smallville?"

"What?"

"Have you actually tried to see if there was another tape already INSIDE the video?"

Chloe chuckled as Lois pressed the 'eject' button with a 'how-dumb-can-you-be' expression.

"Well, if you hadn't pushed, maybe I would have done that!" Clark defended himself, turning into a slight shade of red.

"I don't push, Smallville, I usually pull." she said, patting his back two times in a comprehensive way. "Now, please shut up, that the movie is about to start."

While Chloe stood up to turn the lights off, she heard Clark say "See? Pushing again."

"Shut.Up."

With a grin, Clark turned to the TV. Chloe, sitting on the armchair, watched Lois sit at the couch with Clark. He stood up. For a moment, Chloe had the impression he was going to sit on the other armchair.

_Oh, come on, he can't hate her this much._

But that thought was willing to turn into another one once she saw Clark leaving the room and coming back with three blankets. He handed one for herself, the other one he threw on the couch, and the third one he wrapped around Lois's back, making sure she was fully covered. Lois didn't even seem aware of this fact, and for somebody who didn't like romance/drama movies, she was paying a lot of attention on that one – Titanic, by the way.

For any other couple of friends, that could be considered perfectly normal. But Clark and Lois had a different kind of frienship. A friendship filled with banter, arguing and bickering, so wrapping a blanket around Lois wasn't exactly something Chloe thought Clark would ever do.

Her eyes widened even more when she saw Clark raise his hands to let Lois stretch her legs on his lap.

She wasn't used to see them exchanging that kind of affection before. Let alone seeing Clark rubbing Lois's shank.

_Rubbing Lois's shank?_

Okay, that was weird. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought something was going on. Only none of them seemed aware of their actions.

Chloe watched them carefully during the movie, while they talked about it, and she could swear she had seen one watching the other when they thought no one was watching. But Chloe was. She felt a smile on her own lips. Her feelings for Clark were dead and buried for a long time now. It was a stupid crush, and she knew nothing would ever happen. Now, Chloe tried to picture Lois and Clark together. For her own surprise, it was completely possible. It actually made a lot of sense.

She had that feeling like everything started to take its place, at the thought of them as a couple.

Of course, she was just speculating. She was a journalist, after all. Maybe she was just seeing things that weren't there.

"Lois, are you crying?"

"No I'm not."

"Aren't you?"

"NO, my eyes are just itching."

"You're crying."

"I'm not crying."

"Yes, you are."

"I am not."

"You are."

"Am not."

"Here, take this tissue."

Brief pause.

"Thanks." Lois sniffed, taking the tissue Clark was handing her. He smiled simpathetically at her, and she smiled back, thankfully.

Chloe smirked a bit. Things that weren't there?

Now, she was watching while they discussed why Rose had posed – naked – for Jack, so he could draw her picture.

"Oh, come on, it's obvious he was sooo in to her."

"He was not, he didn't fall in love with Rose just because she was lying naked in front of him."

"Oh, please, Smallville, can you hear yourself? Do you HONESTLY think she didn't do that on purpose?"

"Maybe she just wanted someone to draw her naked."

"Why, so she could hang it on her room's wall and try to sleep watching her front duos? Serious psychological issues there. Besides, did you see the way he looked at her when she took her clothes off? He was practically having a heart attack!"

"Of course he was! The woman was naked!"

"Oh, so you're saying that if I undressed in front of you, you would have a heart attack too?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows.

Definately, there WAS something there.

"Wait. I didn't say that." exclaimed Clark, shocked.

"You did."

"I didn't."

"You did."

"Did not."

"Yep. Besides, you DID look like you were having a heart attack by that time you walked on me on the shower."

Chloe's eyebrows were almost touching her hair now.

"Well, of course I was!!! YOU were naked!!!" said Clark, exasperated.

"Well, what did you expect? That I was saving money not using my laundry machine and taking a bath with my clothes on?"

"No." he merely said. After a moment, Clark asked "Did YOU have a heart attack when you saw ME naked?"

"Okay, major awkward conversation here, people!" interrupted Chloe, but she didn't seem to be heard for any of them. Their conversation went back to Jack and Rose's relationship.

"People are usually impulsive." was saying Lois. "I learned in my journalism classes---" she stopped, realizing she had said too much. Chloe grinned.

"Journalism?" asked Clark, surprised and smirking. "You've been taking journalism classes? Now wait a minute, did Hell freeze over?" Lois narrowed her eyes. "What happened to the whole 'I'll-never-do-journalism' thing?"

"Went to the same place that I'm going to send YOU if you keep mocking me."

Still smiling, Clark turned to Chloe.

"YOU knew about this?"

"Where the hell did you think she goes every monday and tuesday night?" answered Chloe, fighting against the will to laugh. She had always known her cousin liked journalism. But now, she had finally admitted it to herself and had started to take journalism classes. Of course, she hadn't told Clark, for obvious reasons.

"Oh, you two, will you just STOP it?" asked Chloe. It was fun to watch their banter, but it could really make somebody climb over a wall. Both looked at each other, annoyed, and looked back at the movie.

Uncomfortable on her chair, Chloe stood up said "Guys, I'm going upstairs to grab some pillows for us, allright?"

"Okay." both of them said, together. Chloe was about to go upstairs, when she turned around and added.

"Oh, and kids, please, don't kill each other."

"I'll try." teased Clark, looking at Lois, who looked from him to Chloe.

"I can't promise anything."

Going upstairs, the last thing she heard was an "Ouch!"

Chloe grinned when she entered at Martha's room. She opened the closet and looked for pillows. They were right in front of her, but a photo album stole her attention. She opened it. It had pictures from their High School. From all years, but when the last year arrived, another photographs were included. The first one was Lois and Clark's, at the Kent's kitchen, Lois covered in white flour with an annoyed expression and Clark looking like he was laughing his guts out.

Okay, that could take a while.

"I KNEW you liked journalism, I just KNEW it!"

"I swear, Clark, if you keep mocking me, you're going to find out exactly how it feels to be in a frozen Hell." she said, raising one clenched wrist. He was so annoying.

"Oh, I'm just kidding, I'm happy for you." He laughed and pulled her towards him, messing with her hair and trapping her on his arms.

"Hey! Let me go!!" she complained, laughing and struggling. Clark didn't say anything. "Allright. You're not going to let me go?"

"Beg me."

Time for Plan B. Lois turned her face and faced him, very closely.

"I will." she said, seriously, looking at his eyes. Clark loosened his grip.

Lois grinned. She stood up quickly, making him let go of her.

"Aha! See, Kent, you're not able to win, I'm awesome." she said.

Clark smiled stood up and walked closer to her, leaning in.

"You really are."

Lois's grin faded away as her heart started to beat faster. And what were those somersaults on her belly?

_Back away, back away..._

For some reason, she couldn't.

It was Clark's turn to grin. He grabbed her arms and twisted her, trapping Lois on his arms again.

"HEY! Using my strategy against me is not fair playing!" she complained.

They kept fighting like this for a while. Clark had managed to throw themselves at the couch, and they had struggled so much that Lois, now, found herself sitting on top of him, his hands on her waist, her hands on his shoulders.

Her breath quickened, and so did his.

_This... can't... be... healthy._

Lois had noticed the banter and flirting between them had been growing on the past few months. She didn't know why. Or she was pretending she didn't.

Their eyes were locked in each other's, their smiles fading as their hearts raced.

Clark and Lois stood like that in a while, and she could tell the same thoughts that were passing by her mind were going through his. Even though the rational part of her brain was warning with red bright signs 'DANGEROUS ZONE', the emotional part was screaming for her to do something.

Anything.

Both were so dizzy they didn't even heard the footsteps on the stairs.

"Allright, what did I miss while I was out?" Chloe stopped suddenly, the pillows on her arms, her eyebrows possibly spinning 360º around her head now. "A lot, apparently." Her lips curved into a grin as she watched Clark and Lois look up at her, Lois sitting on top of him, both looking like they were very busy on a staring-contest.

"N-No, it was just---"

"---we were just kind of arguing---"

"---fighting, most likely---"

"---and Smallville here just pushed us to the couch---"

"---hey, I didn't---"

"---and we kinda fell and ended up this way---"

"---right, but nothing is going on, really."

"Nothing."

Chloe's smile widened.

"Allright, you were able to convince me, but you know, if Mrs. Kent arrives here, she will think some really strange stuff, so it would be a good idea if you two got out of each other now. " she said.

Chloe had never seen such a bright tone of red on someone's face.

"I, um, I kinda have to go, I have to, uh, close the Talon," Lois babbled. "And, well, enjoy the rest of the ship sinking." she added, motioning her hand towards the TV.

Cleaning her throat, she left, with a sultry "Bye,".

Chloe turned to Clark, with the smartest smile she could give him.

"Stop looking at me like that. We told you what happened." he said, low.

"Oh, you mean there WAS some truth on your half-finished sentences?"

Clark looked at Chloe, partly annoyed, mostly lost. She laughed.

"Clark, it's allright, you can tell me, I'm your friend, and I believe that after the 'I'm an alien' conversation we had once, you have nothing else to hide from me."

"Wha-what do you mean? I'm not hiding anything, I'm not---" Clark stopped talking when he noticed the 'you're-not-fooling-me' smirk on Chloe's face.

"Clark, I'm an investigative reporter, remember? Nothing passes through me." she said. "I've seen the way you and Lois stare at each other when you think no one's watching."

Clark almost choked. "What? We do not---you mean me and Lois? I mean, me AND Lois? N-No!" Clark laughed loudly, almost nervously.

"Okay, you think you're fooling yourself, but you're not. And I'm glad, because I know you will think about this all night and maybe figure it out what I already have." Chloe smiled. "I've got to go, I have to work tomorrow morning." He opened and closed his mouth, like a fish out of the water. "Bye."

Chloe turned around, smiling, and when she was almost on the door, she heard Clark's voice.

"It-it's impossible!! I mean, me and Lois, it's like... like a needle in a haystack."

Chloe smiled even more and turned to him one last time before leaving.

"It's hard to find a needle in a haystack, Clark. But it's not impossible."

Leaving a stunned Clark behind, Chloe crossed the Kent's door, and left.

Driving her car, she turned on the radio.

_I'll tell him some way, some day, somehow,_

_But I'm gonna keep it a secret for now,_

_I'm not dreaming, or stupid_,

_But boy, have I been hit by cupid,_

_But no one needs to know right now_

She had to chuckle.

Clark and Lois...

She had always felt a strange vibe coming from them, but she had never realized what it was.

Chloe smiled.

It seemed that she was beggining to have an idea.

* * *

"Smallville!" jumped Lois, putting the lemon pie she had been eating on the counter, as she watched the tall man entering at the almost empty coffee house. She quickly pulled herself together. "What brings you to the hottest spot of the town?"

"Hey, Lois," he said, a bit awkwardly, just as she did, remembering a certain scene on the Kent's couch the other day. "I, uh, came here to talk to you."

"That's sounds kind of obvious." The sentence was completely Lois, but Clark knew she wasn't being herself. He sighed.

"I just wanted to know if you have seen Chloe lately."

Lois frowned. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just, she usually stops by to see us, and, last time I talked to her, she was... weird."

Lois frowned even more. "Actually, Smallville, I noticed that too... it was really strange. I talked to her yesterday, and she sounded... I don't know how to describe it---"

"Excited."

"Yeah." she agreed. "Too excited, as if---"

"As if she knows something we don't." completed Clark.

"Exactly. As if she was up to something." Clark's fears were becoming real at her sentence. He knew what was the thing Chloe knew that they didn't. Or she thought they didn't. "Smallville? Are, um, are you feeling well?"

"Wh-what?" he said, and he noticed he had been staring at her. "Oh, I—yeah, I just---" He breathed in. "Could you get me some coffee?"

She was looking at him strangely. Instead of the smart answers she would have given him any other day, she simply said "Sure.", and turned around, walking towards the coffee machine.

Clark sighed again.

Chloe-up-to-something was only a part of the reason he had gone to the Talon tonight. The other part was... well, in fact, he wasn't quite sure of what on Earth had made him superspeed to the coffee house. He just knew he wanted to talk to Lois. About what, exactly? Maybe about what had – almost – happened between them on the Kent's house, during that movie session.

Lois handed him the coffee. "Here."

"Thanks." he said, taking it. Their fingers touched a little bit, and both felt an incredible electricity going through their hands, arms and chest. Lois quickly removed her hand, and Clark surprised himself wishing that she hadn't.

They stood in an unbearable silence for a few minutes, as the last people on the place stood up from their tables and left. Clark looked back at Lois. She was nervously playing with her bitten fingernails. He stared at her until she looked up at him. He noticed her blushing a little. It made him wish he had a camera with him. A blushing Lois wasn't a daily occurence, and he thought it was kind of cute.

"I, uh, have to clean up the place." she said, bypassing the counter and going to a few tables, where she started to pick up the chairs and put them upside down above the table.

"Lois," called Clark, a thing that made her drop the chair she was holding.

"Geez!" she exclaimed, reaching to pick it up again. "I'm sorry, I..." When Lois stood straight and looked into Clark's eyes, her voice left her. What the hell was going on with her? "I'll... I have to put some bottles outside, I---"

Without finishing her sentence, Lois quickly walked towards the Talon's back door, praying with all her might for Clark not to follow her. But he did.

As soon as she was outside, he was right behind her, saying once again:

"Lois... we need to talk---"

She turned around, masking her fear with irritation. "Will you just STOP that?" Clark faced her, surprised with her sudden anger. "We don't need to talk about anything, because there isn't anything to talk about, right? We were just a bit carried away by the moment, and our position sure wasn't helping, but nothing actually happened, it doesn't matter, so you can stop with that 'Lois-we-need-to-talk' thing, okay, I know what you're doing---"

"And I know what YOU are doing." said him. "You're avoiding me---"

"What the hell did you want me to do???" she asked, exasperated. "We almost kissed, for Heaven's sake!"

"But you just said it doesn't matter." Clark pointed. "Does it?"

"Well, I---I---" she shook her arms in a desperated gesture when she couldn't finish her sentence. Silence filled the place, once again. Lois covered her face with her hands, laughing nervously. "This is stupid, this is just stupid---"

"It is NOT stupid," said Clark. Seeing that she kept chuckling nervously, Clark grabbed her arms and took them away from her face, so she could face him. "I don't know what the hell happened that day. And I am as afraid as you---"

"I am not afraid." she said, stubbornly, not laughing anymore.

"Lois, you ARE trying to escape---"

"I am NOT trying to escape and I am NOT afraid!" she challenged.

"Fine. Then why don't you prove it?!" he said, looking down at her, still grabbing her both hands.

"Fine."

Lois raised her head, looking at him straight in the eye.

Everything he had said was true. She knew that. But she wasn't a woman to turn down a challenge when there was one.

Clark's hands found their way to her waist.

Lois let slip a slight gasp.

She had leaned in flirtatiously a lot of times before. But it had never been this hard to step away.

Clark's eyes were bright with caring, desire. Passion. And something else. Something she couldn't quite recognize. Something so strong that made Lois step away immediatly. The same strange spark that Clark saw on her eyes, and that made him wide-eyed.

"I still have, um, things to do, I---"

"Lois!" he exclaimed, still amazed.

She seemed truly desperated. "I have to pick up the chairs---"

"Lois, you..."

"And put those, um, bottles out here, I, uh---"

"Lois, will you STOP it???" Clark asked, a bit irritated himself, now.

"No, Clark, YOU stop it!! Stop doing that, stop looking at me like that, and stop saying those things---"

"I can't! Because I know you are as shaken by whatever it is that's going on as I am---"

"I am not shaken, I just have to... to put those bottles out here, I---"

"Lois, you don't even have the bottles."

She looked at her own hands, seeing he was right. She couldn't face him. Even though her denial wasn't going anywhere, Lois still growled and turned around, storming towards the Talon, and entering on her apartment.

Lois sat on the couch, noticing her hands were shaking. That damn movie night session Chloe had suggested... From that day on, the awkward tension between them had became almost insufferable. There was already tension, banter, flirting and bickering between them, there was since the day they met. But that night made all those items grow even more. And that had been keeping her awake for the last few days. He was right. She was afraid. She was scared, because she knew that if Chloe hadn't arrived right on time, something else, besides the exchange of deep looks and quick breaths, would have happened.

Whatever it was going on with her, she blamed him. With a gust of anger, Lois almost wished Clark was there right now, so she could smash him against the wall and punch him, kick him.

Or kiss him.

She hid her face on her hands again. Those stupid thoughts about the stupid farmboy were taking the sleep away from her.

She would have to stop with that. She had never let those kind of feelings be on her way before, and it was not going to happen this time.

Although, it wasn't the same, this time. The feelings she had been having for him were different from anything she had ever felt before.

Lois shook her head and stood up. That was going to stop. She was going to take a cold shower, and everything would be buried somewhere inside her, she was going to sleep and when she woke up the next day, she wouldn't remember anything. Maybe she would find it had been just a dream. A nightmare. Like the ones she had about the guy in the red cape. Or maybe---

The door slammed.

Lois jumped and turned around. Clark was standing there on the dark, looking tired, sad, determined and happy, all in one.

_Damn, I should have locked it._

"It's easier, isn't it?" he started. Lois just stared at him, her heart beating fast from the susprise. "To run away from something huge that's happening to you, and you don't quite know what it is." She froze. Something was telling her they were diving into an excessively deep sea. And she was frightened, because she didn't know if she would be able to swim to the surface again.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" she asked, low.

"See? See?" he said, tired. "That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about! Why don't you try to face the subject instead of avoiding it?"

"Maybe because I DON'T WANT to face it!" she blurted out. "I don't care of what you'll call me, but that's how I work!"

"So that's your way of dealing with the uknown, afraid of getting hurt??" he asked, angry.

"Do you have any PROBLEM with that??"

"YES!!!" he yelled. "You never let anyone go through your walls!! You are annoying, bossy and stuck-up, and with all that fort of protection around you and being afraid to get hurt, you are oblivious to the fact that there are people in the world who actually care more about you than you can imagine! You don't seem to be able to recognize that!"

Lois widened her eyes and felt anger, astonishment and frustration, because he didn't seem to understand.

"What point are you trying to prove here? You tell me, because I must be missing it!" she said, after a second. "Oh yes, Clark! Let's talk about me then, because it's always me, the wrong one, isn't it? I'm the one who tease you to no end, you don't tease me back or drive me nuts, nooooo, you're the saint-perfect-Clark Kent, with all your virtues and big dreams! When you say I never let anyone in because I'm afraid to get hurt, you seem to forget the fact that YOU've never let anyone in either!"

"Maybe it's because I have a fairly good reason for that!"

"SO HAVE I!" she exclaimed, her eyes filling up with tears of anger now. "You think the world spins around your own belly button, don't you? You've never stopped, even for one second, to think that maybe I have a good reason to be hesitant when it comes to relationships, SPECIALLY with people who I care about and who I may be starting to have huge feelings for! You've never stopped to think that maybe I'm afraid of ruining everything because of something that I don't even know what it is yet!" Clark felt his own irritation going away. He had seen her mad at him before. But he had never seen Lois Lane like that before. She was a mix of emotions. Frustration, anger, pain, everything mixed in words she had been dying to spill out for a long time now, the things that had been keeping her awake all night. "You don't even seem to notice, wrapped up in your little perfect world, that there is more to people than meets the eye! You think I am stuck-up, rude, bossy, stormy and annoying, but I am also your friend, and whenever you need, I will always be around to bust your chops and drag you away from your pity-parties! I've always been! And I know that you'll do the same for me!" Her voice was starting to fail. "That's what I don't want to spoil!" Lois felt the stupid tears rolling down her face, and she was breathing heavily. "And YOU don't seem to be able to recognize THAT!"

She wiped her tears away with her arm, angrily, and stormed out, forgetting it was her own apartment. The Talon was empty and almost completely dark, if it weren't for a few weak lamps.

Lois didn't know where the hell she was going. She just needed to swallow and bury whatever feelings she was having for Clark. Because she was. And they weren't insignificant. On the other hand. After the past few days, she was beggining to wonder if she wasn't starting to fall for him. Oh, she definately was falling. Falling into an abysmal, deep and wonderful hole with no end, that just seemed to get bigger and bigger every day. She felt tears watering her eyes again.

She was lost.

Lois was almost at the door when, with her stomach twisting, she heard him call her name.

"Lois!"

Why did he always had to follow her?

She closed her eyes, struggling with the urge to stop, and continued to walk towards the Talon's front door.

"Lois, wait."

With a shock of electricity, she felt Clark grabbing her arm firmly, yet gently, and he turned her around, now holding her arms with his own.

Lois was looking at the floor. She had deliberately confessed she had feelings for him, and she didn't know when she would be able to face him again.

Suddenly, at the same time the tears started to fall from her eyes, she started to chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Clark, confused and resigned. Lois shook her head, her voice tone varying between the tears and the laughter.

"It's just... I screwed it up, see? We didn't even do anything, and I already ruined our friendship, I stupidly poured my heart out to you, and I am doing it again, and now I don't know how the hell things are ever going to come back to normal." Lois rolled her eyes, only crying this time. Still not looking up at him, she shook her arm out of his. "So I would appreciate if you could just forget everything I said."

She sniffed and started to walk away again.  
"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lois asked softly and sadly, at the same time, without stopping to walk.

"For not being able to forget everything you said." Clark's words echoed on her head as badly as they echoed on the empty coffee house, as he continued to talk. "I'm sorry that you think I don't pay attention on every single time you have been there for me, because I do. And I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for every single talk we had, every single smile you give me, because when you do that, I know I'm not alone." She had never heard him with that tone of voice before. It was beyond softness, in a way that made her feel about to pass out. "I think I do know why you tease me so much." Lois froze. He was getting into her. "And I definately know why I tease you. Why our share of banter have been growing over the past few months. Why our casual flirting have became a bit out of hand, why is almost impossible to snap out of it." Clark gulped. "And I think you know too." Lois swallowed hard, her heart racing. She could feel him walking closer. "What you said upstairs didn't ruin everything. What I said didn't ruin anything either. You didn't screw it up, Lois. On the other hand. I'm..." He made a brief pause, as if he was trying to find courage. "I'm glad you said that. Because I didn't know you were... so confused like me with all this. All... all the times you were staring at me, all those times I saw that sparkle in your eyes, I thought it was only me hallucinating. My brain making me see what I, unconsciously, wanted to see." She could feel him right behind her now. But Lois couldn't find the forces to turn around. He sighed. "I don't know if you are getting my point here." It was more like a question than a statement. And she couldn't find the voice to answer. "Lois?" The way he said her name made her shudder. "Lois, would you please look at me?"

She didn't want to. She didn't want to look at him because she was afraid of what she was going to see.

When Lois looked into Clark's eyes earlier, she didn't see just caring. She saw friendship, affection, a strange flame that made her legs feel weak and she saw the thing that made her step away immediatly, shocked. The thing that she now knew what it was, that had been bothering her for the last days. The thing that made her say all those words to him before.

When Lois looked into Clark's eyes, she saw love.

And she was seeing it once again, tonight, when she finally turned around and faced him. Only this time, she didn't back away.

With a fluttering feeling on her belly, Lois gulped as he felt him touch her arm, and she fought with all her will not to assault him with her lips.

"Look, I don't know what is all this," she started, roughly. "Maybe this thing jumping in my stomach is just the lemon pie I ate before." She was a bit relieved when she felt the awkward tension going away a bit when Clark laughed a bit. Nervously, but he laughed. "I know that it's... something. I just don't know if it's worth the risk. I-I mean," she chuckled uncomfortably. "Can you see us having that pillow fight after this little loving conversation?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

_Damn lemon pie._

"You... you do?"

"Yeah. And..." Clark started to walk closer to her, closing the distance between them. "I think it does worth the risk." Feeling the whole place really hot all of a sudden, Lois noticed he was standing inches away from her. "Doesn't it?"

"Who knows?" she panted, as his hands slipped around her waist and pulled her closer.

People say there isn't smoke without fire. Clark and Lois had found out exactly where the smoke was coming from. It was a big, an enormous fire. Almost like a volcano, ready to erupt.

Lois was, again, a mix of emotions. She was happy – yes, she knew that jumping thing on her belly wasn't the lemon pie talking –, she was glad, relieved, crazy, scared. Scared, because she had never felt anything quite like that before. She was scared, because if they were wrong, they would only break each other's heart.

Lois tried, God knew she had tried, to struggle against that. She had been doing that for a long time now. And she could tell Clark had been struggling too. But she didn't have enough strenght to fight herself anymore.

Clark brushed his lips against hers, as her arms unconsciously found their way to his neck.

What the hell, maybe she was in love with him, after all.

"Clark---"

Lois tried one last time, but when Clark slowly and teasingly opened her lips with his, was when she realized she could never win that battle.

She pulled his head against hers, her lips claiming for his.

They kissed. And it was better than she ever thought it could be. Gently at first, exploring the uknown, getting deeper and deeper by the second, spreading heat through all their bodies.

And before they could realize it, between the kisses, they were climbing up the steps on the stairs that led to Lois's apartment.

When they were already outside the apartment's door, Clark and Lois realized what they were doing.

"Smallville, before we do this---"

"---I'm in love with you."

Two sentences at the same time, with two completely different impacts.

They stood in silence for a long time, Clark's hands still holding Lois's waist, and hers around Clark's face.

"You what?" she asked, breathlessly and weakly. Clark rolled his eyes, annoyed with himself for blurting it out so soon. He had probably scared her even more. Well, now that the mess was already done...

"I said that I am in love with you. I love you, I have for a long time, I just hadn't the guts to admit it to myself. Lois, you ARE completely bossy, stuck up, rude and annoying, but you're also wonderful, funny, breathtaking and you ARE my friend, you will always be, but if you let me, I'd like you to be more."

Lois just stared at him for a few seconds, her heartbeating loud enough to all Smallville to hear. Then, feeling that she was making a fool of herself when she felt her eyes getting wet, she kissed him again.

"I guess this means 'yes'?" he asked, smiling against her lips.

Lois grinned. "Who knows?"

Clark grinned too, and they fell into each other's arms again.

The heat was back.

Tightening the grip on her waist, he dragged Lois to her apartment and closed the door, loudly, now kissing her neck.

Clark set her entire body on fire.

The volcano had started to erupt.

* * *

Lois opened her eyes slowly. She blinked several times, to get used to the brightness coming from the window, enlightening her bed and her room.

It was a beautiful morning, and the sun was warming the whole place. But nothing compared to the warmth of the hands of the man lying on the bed beside her, his arms wrapped around Lois.

She turned around and looked at Clark Kent's restful face. He emanated a peace like she hadn't seen on his face for a long time. The thought about the fact maybe she could be the reason of that peace made her feel butterflies on her stomach.

He was annoying, virtuous, idealist, funny, breathtaking, wonderful, savior, he was a hero (and, of course, even though Lois would never tell anyone, he was hot).

That was Clark Kent. Smallville. Farmboy.

Lois smiled.

_Her_ farmboy.

Last night had been simply amazing. If she was honest with herself, the best night she had for a long, long time. It was marvelous, the way they kissed, the way his hands caressed all her body, finding places that no other guy had been able to find before. It was like if the lack on their hearts had been filled. Like if the thing that was always missing had been found.

She cuddled herself in his chest, ready to sleep again, but she felt him waking up. Clark pulled away a little bit, so he could look at her. They faced each other for a minute.

Lois felt butterflies all over her belly again.

"Lois?" She just looked at him. "Okay. Before you say anything, I just wanted to tell you that... everything you told me last night... the things about not wanting to ruin our friendship... I wanted you to know that... I agree. I understand you. I know, I feel exactly the same way about it. And I when I came here last night, I didn't come just to know about Chloe. I came here because... well, I'm not quite sure, but I knew I wanted to talk to you. About what happened on the couch."

"Well, look at us now, looks like we have a lot more to talk about." she commented, smirking a bit. Clark laughed.

"The moment I kissed you, I knew I wouldn't go back home." he continued. Lois gulped. "I know how much you wanted things to go back to normal, I wanted too. But we both know it's not possible anymore. Don't get me wrong. I'm not sorry for what happened. Unconsciously, I knew it was not possible going back to normal when I started to notice I was having feelings for you. So... my point is, since we can't go back, why don't we go forward?"

"We already have." mumbled Lois.

"I didn't mean only THAT." said Clark, blushing a bit, a thing that made Lois smile. "I mean, everything. When I said 'I love you', last night, I really meant it. And I still do. I love you, and I mean it. And, somehow, I know you feel the same for me." Lois swallowed hard. "If you're not ready for something bigger, if you're not comfortable with this or if... if you don't love me as much as I love you, and if you ask me to forget that this ever happened," It was Clark's turn to swallow. "I will. It will be the hardest thing to do, but I will. And I know that you would do the same for me. But... it's just... I love our relationship, I love what we already have, but I love you more, and being friends is just---"

"---not enough anymore." Lois completed, surprising Clark a little bit. "Yeah, I know the feeling."

"So... are you... okay with... this?"

"Depends. What do you mean by 'this'?" she asked, even though she knew what he was going to answer.

"I mean you and me---" he stopped talking and grinned.

"What?" asked Lois.

"It's just... sounds nice." he said, shrugging and leaning in his elbows.

"You and me?"

Clark grinned even more. "Yeah."

Lois smiled too. "It really does."

They grinned at each other for a moment, in silence.

She reached over to cup his cheek with one hand, leaning in to kiss him tenderly.

"Very dangerous to do this while we're still in bed." Clark said against her lips.

Lois smirked. "We should just---"

A third voice joined the room. "Okay, I knew something was going to happen, but not as fast as I'm seeing that it did."

Lois and Clark nearly jumped out of bed. Both coverd themselves completely with the blankets as they looked at an amused Chloe, that was standing at the bedroom's door, watching their faces turning red and, apparently, between laughter and surprise.

"Chloe!!" yelped Clark, shocked. "How did you get in here??"

"You guys must have been so busy that you forgot to lock the door." she said, raising an eyebrow. "I knocked and I called, but no one answered. You two must have been REALLY distracted."

"Oh boy..." said Lois, covering her eyes with her hand.

Chloe chuckled. "Don't worry, 'cuz, I'm on my way out. Just, please, care to call me later. You two are SO going to tell me exactly how this happened. And don't forget: I want details!" With a smile, she turned around, ready to leave, when Clark's voice interrupted her:

"You will never let us forget this, will you?"

Chloe smiled from one ear to another. "Never."

She turned around again and left, closing the room's door.

"Well, if we weren't planning to tell anyone..." started Lois, pulling herself together.

"It's not exactly a secret now..." said Clark, smiling with the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, I guess we haven't been discrete, after all..." she said.

They fell into silence again, locked into each other's eyes.

"Have I ever told you how cute you look when you're blushing?" asked Clark, smirking.

"I'm not blushing! I'm just a little flushed from the sun!" she said, defensively, blushing a bit more. Clark laughed and Lois felt that now familiar electricity when he covered her hand with his.

"This is something too huge to ignore." he said. "Let's just..."

"See wherever it goes?" she completed.

"Yeah."

They smiled, both leaning in to kiss, now.

Chloe, at the other side of the door, grinned, and, this time, walked towards the apartment's door, leaving.

It was not a secret at all. Or a surprise.

Many, many times, Chloe thought she should have seen that one coming. The bickering, the arguments, the excessive flirting and banter... always big signs of something else.

The reason that had taken them so long to admit their real feelings behind that mask, was that it was something so strong that was different from anything they had ever felt before. So different that it was scary.

Instead of throwing that mask on the trash can, they had been picking it up and putting it on their faces again. Only their banter and flirting had been growing. The mask had been falling down. The volcano that was the tension around them had to erupt eventually.

Chloe smiled even more, grabbing her keys and turning her car on.

Clark was a wonderful man. Chloe had no doubt that he was the man her cousin had been looking for all along. She just hoped Clark wouldn't let his secret split them apart. He would have to tell Lois soon. First, because that shouldn't be the thing to ruin such a beautiful relationship. Second, because Lois wasn't stupid. The many conversations that Chloe had with her cousin made her notice that Lois knew something was going on, that Clark was keeping a big secret. But she had never complained about him not telling her, or pushed him to spill everything out. That was the reason why Chloe was sure Lois would understand better than anyone and be there for him. And that was why she was sure Clark wouldn't take too long to tell her.

Headed to Metropolis, with nothing but the road in front of her, Chloe would just have to wait for Lois's call. She would extract the details from her. She was a journalist, after all. And Lois was on her way to be the same thing.

She was happy for them.

Remembering her conversation with Clark a few nights earlier, Chloe shook her head and laughed.

It looked like Clark and Lois had found the needle in the haystack. And it was a hell of a shiny one.


End file.
